Although the Aerodactyl had just been revived and its strength had not yet fully recovered, its sharp and aggressive attacks revealed its inherited combat instincts from ancient times.
"Altaria, use Ice Beam!"
After several aerial clashes with Aerodactyl, Mai seized the moment when it exposed an opening and commanded Altaria to attack.
Without hesitation, Altaria gathered freezing energy in its mouth and launched a beam of icy power straight toward Aerodactyl.
At that moment, Aerodactyl was in the middle of a turn and couldn't dodge in time. The Ice Beam hit it squarely, and its body began to freeze rapidly.
Within moments, the Aerodactyl was encased in a massive block of ice, unable to maintain its flight, and plummeted straight down from the sky.
"Thud!"
The frozen Aerodactyl crashed into the soft grass below, leaving a deep crater. Fortunately, the ice didn't completely shatter upon impact, only forming several cracks.
Despite being frozen, Aerodactyl hadn't given up. Its fierce struggle could be heard through the cracking sounds as more fissures spread across the ice. Soon, shards of ice exploded outward as Aerodactyl broke free, though its heavy breathing revealed it wasn't in great shape.
"Altaria, use Dragon Pulse!"
Mai didn't give Aerodactyl the chance to take flight again. She immediately commanded Altaria to launch another attack.
A wave of draconic energy shot out and struck Aerodactyl, sending it flying several meters before it crashed to the ground, unable to move. Yet, even in defeat, the ferocity in Aerodactyl's eyes hadn't faded, showing that it was unyielding even in the face of loss.
Having anticipated Aerodactyl's temperament, both Rex and Mai were still shocked by its sheer aggression after experiencing it firsthand. It was clear that taming Aerodactyl would be no easy task for Mai.
Mai tossed an Ultra Ball at Aerodactyl. The ball encapsulated the Pokémon in a beam of red light, shaking violently on the ground as it struggled inside.
After a few tense moments, the Ultra Ball snapped open, and Aerodactyl emerged once more, its intimidating figure standing back on the grass. The capture had failed.
Mai didn't hesitate, throwing another Ultra Ball. This time, the ball only wobbled twice before it stopped. Aerodactyl no longer had the strength to resist.
With Aerodactyl successfully captured, Rex waved goodbye to Mai and left her to bond with her new Pokémon.
The previous evening, Rex had already contacted Yuli, the manager of his farm. Although he'd been out of touch for almost a month, Yuri reassured him that the Chiba Farm was running smoothly under the team's management, with no significant issues.
However, there had been a noticeable increase in visitors asking about Taillow and Poliwag Pokémon eggs.
As a matter of fact, Rex's Pokémon breeding operation had temporarily shut down. About two weeks ago, the last Poliwag egg had been sold.
Rex had expected this outcome and wasn't planning to sell any more eggs for the time being. He wanted to allow the Pokémon populations on the farm to replenish their egg numbers before harvesting them again.
As Rex wandered aimlessly through town, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
"Rex, we're out of Meteor Falls!"
Beach's voice came through from the other end, clearly excited. It seemed that they had finally completed their expedition.
"Sorry, Mai and I already returned to Professor Birch's lab," Rex replied.
"No problem! Honestly, we left early too because there were just too many people entering Meteor Falls. You don't need to apologize."
"How about you and John? Did you manage to find a Mega Stone?"
"Yeah, I found a Mega Stone in a rock wall near the same marked spot where you found yours. Unfortunately, John wasn't so lucky and didn't get one."
"Well, congratulations on your find! What are your plans now? Are you heading back to Professor Birch's lab?"
"No, John and I are planning to head straight back to Kalos. Could you please pass along our goodbyes to Mai and Professor Birch for us?"
"Will do. Safe travels!"
After ending the call with Beach, Rex headed to Professor Birch to share the news about Beach and John.
Upon hearing that Beach had also acquired a Mega Stone, Professor Birch was astonished. He hadn't anticipated there would be so many Mega Stones hidden within Meteor Falls. This revelation made him consider organizing another group of trainers to explore the area further.
"Hmm? Rex, what are you and the Professor talking about?"
Mai, having finished her bonding session with Aerodactyl, joined the two and curiously inquired.
Rex quickly filled Mai in on Beach and John's situation.
"So, Mai, what are your plans now?"
After letting her absorb the news, Rex asked, genuinely curious about her next steps.
Having spent a month traveling together, Rex and Mai had become close friends, and he cared about what she intended to do next.
"Rex, I have to apologize. I originally planned to visit your farm after this, but now I've decided to head straight to Kalos instead. I want to train Aerodactyl and search for a Keystone, so I can work toward its Mega Evolution as soon as possible."
Mai looked a little embarrassed as she explained her change in plans.
Originally, she had promised Rex she'd visit his farm after they left Meteor Falls. But after obtaining both Aerodactyl and its Mega Stone, her priorities shifted.
Mai felt like she'd reached a bottleneck in her strength, and breaking through it required a significant leap in the power of her Pokémon. Mega Evolution seemed like the most viable way to achieve that goal.
"No worries. You can visit the farm another time. For now, I'll wish you success in achieving your goal!" Rex said with a warm smile.
"Thank you!" Mai replied sincerely.
Rex bid farewell to both Mai and Professor Birch.
He planned to head back to his farm, but he left Salamence's Mega Stone at the lab for Professor Birch to research as they had previously agreed. Rex had no intention of going back on his word.
Mai, on the other hand, intended to stay at the lab for a few more days before setting out for Kalos.
Leaving the lab, Rex released his Swellow and was about to climb onto its back when one of his Poké Balls flashed red. Moments later, Bagon emerged from the ball on its own.
"Uh, Bagon, what are you doing out here?"
Rex gently patted Bagon's head, puzzled by its actions.
"Rawr!"
Bagon cried out, then immediately clung to one of Swellow's legs, staring intently at the sky with a determined expression.
"Oh, I see. You want to ride on Swellow with me, don't you?"
Rex immediately understood what Bagon wanted.
With a laugh, Rex scooped Bagon into his arms, then climbed onto Swellow's back. Together, they took off into the sky, heading back to Rex Farm.
(End of Chapter)